At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon

★★★

Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

★★★★

This one has been sitting on my bookshelf for as long as I can remember and I was finally able to get to it.  A very intriguing and raw novel of individuals living in a small town and how the relate to Olive Kitteridge.  Reminded me a lot of the quirky characters in Anne Tyler's books.

The Forgotten Room by Karen White, etc.

★★★★ 1/2

"My mother once told me that a lifetime of good enough was a fair price to pay for a single moment of pure happiness.  This is my moment.  Don' take that away from me."

A wonderfully written historical fiction novel telling the story of three generations of women filled with history, family, love, and suspense.  This was a very unique novel in that it was written by three different authors.  The stories flowed well together and kept my interest until the very last page!

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

★★★★ 1/2

"If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way."

Another page-turner from Jodi Picoult.  I really enjoyed the characterization and writing in this one.  No matter how many books of hers I read, the author still manages to surprise me!

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

★★★

Way to unrealistic for me, but it made for a mostly entertaining audiobook to listen to.

The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg (audio)

★★★

"If you say something over and over again, it begins to lose it's meaning...Say anything enough times and it becomes gibberish."

This novel had an interesting premise and follows the storylines of several classmates as they attend their 40 year high school reunion.  Each had various expectation of the reunion and insight is given to their lives in the present and their experiences in high school.  A good reminder that some people change and others simply can't or choose not to and that your experiences in high school do not have to define the rest of your life.  The novel was entertaining enough,  but I felt sorry for most of the characters and (with a few exceptions) didn't like most of them all that much.  I was glad that some of them were able to find happiness in the end.

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

★★★★

"Push yourself.  Don't settle.  Just live well.  Just LIVE."

I have been meaning to read this book for a long time - especially over the past few months with the sequel and then the movie coming out.  I enjoyed this book.  It was modern and centered on an unlikely romance between the two main characters.  The characters were perfectly written - I loved them and hated them at the same time.  They were quirky and a little crazy, must mostly real.  I kept hoping that ending would be different than I thought, but I knew it wasn't.  And of course I cried at the end, even though I told myself I wasn't going to.  

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly (audio)

★★★★ 1/2

"Don't waste your energy on hate.  That will kill you sure as anything."

Another wonderfully written novel focusing on the events of World War II.  I enjoyed the unique perspective of an all-women concentration camp and different point of views.  This novel tells the story of three women from very different backgrounds - a wealthy American women, a German doctor, and Polish political prisoner.  It was beautifully written, well-researched, and filled with memorable characters and powerful insight on a tragic part of the past.

Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

★★★ 1/2

"You could jump so much higher when you have somewhere safe to fall."

I couldn't wait to read this new book by Liane Moriarty - it didn't end up being anywhere nearly as good as her other two novels I read (Little Big Lies and the Husband's Secret), but I enjoyed it none the less.  A complex story of friendship, parenthood, relationships, and everything in between and what can happen when tragedy strikes.  I thought it took way too long to find out the tragic event that had happened, but the little girls provided a lot of entertainment and I enjoyed reading about all of the interwoven relationships between the characters.

The Hurricane Sisters

★★ 1/2

"We were an imperfect family.  I knew that.  But at last we were on each other's side, dug in with a new and more profound commitment.  Our happiness was hard won, it was ours and I was determined to keep us whole."

This was the first book that I have read by Dorothea Benton Frank.  It was a decent, light read, but it didn't really go anywhere.  The characters all seemed sort of a like and I couldn't force myself to really like any of them.  I guess this book was exactly what I was expecting - a good beach read - but not much else.

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple (audio)

★★★★

"Maybe that's what religion is, hurling yourself off a cliff and trusting that something bigger will take care of you and carry you to the right place."

I liked this quirky and funny and highly original novel - it was just so much fun to read! Bernadette was such an interesting character, but ultimately it was her 15-year-old daughter Bee that won me over.  When Bee's mother disappears shortly before that family's scheduled trip to Antarctica, Bee is determined to find her.  The book consists of numerous documents including emails, letters, and secret corespondents leading to the story's dynamic ending.  The last half felt a little flat for me at times, but the novel had a lot of really great moments and I loved that it highlighted a charming mother-daughter relationship.

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion (audio)

★★★

"But why, why, why can't people just say what they mean."

Don Tillman is a genetics professor in his late 30s.  His life is full of routines and he plans everything to the minute.  He has been on a few dates, but has so far not been very successful in relationships.  In fact, he has pretty much given up on them altogether.  But, when his friend comments that he would make a good husband, Don decides to start what he calls "The Wife Project."  He creates a test to weed out incompatible partners and feels that this will ultimately lead him to his "perfect wife."  Then he meets Rosie - who fails Don's questionnaire and is deemed complete unsuitable for him.  Rosie has a project of her own she needs help with and Don starts to wonder why he likes spending time with her even though she is in no way suited to be his wife.

I might be going against the norm on this one, but this book was just ok for me.  I found it really predictable and thought that it could have been better developed.  I generally wanted Don and Rosie to get together, but I didn't feel that crazy, emotional connection to the characters that I usually do.  I thought Don's life was really unique and interesting, but I had a hard time believing that he was able to change so many of his daily routines and rituals that he had had for years and years.  Being "in love" would not normally allow a person to change nearly every aspect of how a person acts and thinks.  These things are changeable, but they take time.  A lot of time.  Maybe I'm just being too picky, but I tend to over analyze behaviors like this. I didn't mind reading this book and some parts were charming and funny, but it felt a lot to me like a typical romantic-comedy movie - nice to watch at the time, but no something I will likely think about when it's over or watch again.

American Housewives: Stories by Helen Ellis (audio)

★★★ 1/2

"I fix myself a hot chocolate because it is a gateway drug to reading."

I don't usually read a lot of short story collections, but I kept hearing about this one and it sounded interesting.  The stories usually entertaining and were filled with irony and humor.  Most of the  featured "housewives" were a bit overkill, but they did the trick and had me laughing more than a few times.  I also enjoyed the focus on literary and publishing themes.  Some of my favorite stories included "Hello! Welcome to Book Club," "How to Be a Patron of the Arts" and "My Novel is Brought You to By the Good People at Tampax."  

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult (audio)

★★★

"You couldn't have strength without weakness, you couldn't have light without dark, you couldn't have love without loss."

I've read also a dozen of Jodi Picoult's novels over the years, and this one was rather different than her usual books.  I generally enjoyed it, but I guess I was expecting a bit more. - especially from the ending.

The book centers around Trixie Stone - a fourteen-year-old teenager - and her parents, Daniel and Laura.  Trixie is a typical teenager who has just been dumped by Jason, the "love of her life" and also the most popular boy in her school.  Trixie is heartbroken and at a loss  what to do with herself after losing Jason and she is determined to win him back.  Her and her best friend devise a plan at a high school party when her friend's mom is out of town, but the party gets out of control and Trixie reveals to her dad the next morning that Jason raped her.

Throughout the remainder of the book, readers are left to struggle with the question as to if Trixie was raped and if and what she is telling the truth about.  As details are revealed we go back and forth and things begin to get a lot more complicated.  Jason is charged with rape and the whole town becomes involved.  Daniel and Laura are also having problems on their own and the family struggles to deal with the incident and aftermath.  

I liked a lot of things about this book.  Daniel is a primarily as stay-at-home dad and I really enjoyed seeing his relationship with Trixie since my husband stays at home with our daughter.  The novel brought up a lot of questions on what a father (or parent) would do to protect their children.  The father-daughter relationship was particularly unique.  I also connected with Trixie as a young teenager and the emotions that she was going through during and after her breakup with Jason.  I had my first "real" boyfriend at around the same age and it really brought up a lot of emotions.  Trixie was (in perspective) so young, but that made her feelings all the more real.  There was also a strong presence of "the tenth circle" (aka the circle of hell) throughout the novel.  Laura is a professor at a local college and her main course is teaching Dante's Inferno.  Daniel has a connection to this concept as well and is a comic book artist whose new story features a father journeying through the circles of hell to rescue his daughter.  At the end of each chapter there is another story told through comics and this is bits and pieces for Daniel's new book.  I really liked this incorporate and thought that it brought a really unique aspect to the novel.  It reminded me of when Picoult used original music in the audio book edition of her book "Sing You Home."  I listened to the audio of "The Tenth Circle" as well, but checked out the print book so that I could read the comic book parts.

I enjoyed a lot of aspect of this story, but I kept expecting something else to happen and the ending didn't add up as much as it usually does for me when I read a Jodi Picoult.  Plus the supernatural aspects did not work for me at all.  I've seen it done well - even from Picoult - but this felt awkward and disjointed.  Even so, this was a relatively good book that brought out a lot of emotions on a touch subject.

The Master Quilter (Elm Creek Quilts #6) by Jennifer Chaverini (audio)

★★★★

Let me just start by saying that I am really enjoying this series!!  I kept hearing good things about them at the public library and picked up the first book, The Quilter's Apprentice, about a month ago and have been hooked ever since.  I usually don't read series books - mostly because there are so many books out there that I have a hard time committing the quickly declining reading time that I have unless the series is really, really good.  I also usually like to find books with a bit more substance, but I love listening to these books on playaway and find myself drawn to the various characters and storylines.  I have a little over a half-an-hour drive to and from work everyday and they are the perfect books to listen to in the car (and sometimes in the driveway to finish a really good chapter!)  

Sometimes after reading a lot of heavier and more complex books, I need to unwind with something a big more low-key.  Sometimes I just want to read about real people doing real things and not have to think too much about why or how they are doing them.  Sometimes I just need a break from thinking for awhile.  

And these books just aren't just mind-numbing click-lit type books either.  Even though they don't have that literary quality that I usually look for, there is a substantial amount of historical detail throughout a majority of the books and I am really enjoying learning about quilting!!

This story is a bit different from the previous novels.  It is completely set in the present and comes back to the original Elm Creek quilters as they prepare a bridal quilt for Sylvia.  As usual they all have secrets and problems of there own that are sorted out through the story.  The book is unique in that each chapter is told from the view point of one of the different characters and overlaps in the time span of the story (about four or five months - I think).  I don't remember ever reading a book that was done this way before and I thought it was done very well.  As each chapter unfolds, readers learn more and more about how each of the characters are dealing with specific situations mentioned and why they are acting the way they are.  Even though I missed having a historical aspect of the story, it was still interesting and I enjoyed how the author went more in depth about each of the main characters and showcased their lives and personalities.

I am going to give this series a break for awhile.  I read somewhere that this was originally where Chaverini was going to end the Elm Creek Quilts book, so I figured it would be a good place to stop.  I have grown to really enjoy these books, but I don't want to end up listening to them all in a few months - there are 20 total - even though I easily could.  Plus I have a extremely huge and ever-growing list of "to-read" books at the moment (thank you to my new job at the public library as an adult services librarian!)  There are a few holiday books coming up in the series and I am planning on coming back to them towards Christmas this year - can't wait, but it will be nice to explore some other titles and authors and are sitting on my desk as well!  And perhaps I can also find sometime to learn how to quilt :)

The Quilter's Legacy (Elm Creek Quilts #5) by Jennifer Chaverini (audio)

★★★★

The fifth novel in Chiaverini's Elm Creek Quilt series focus's on Sylvia's quest to find five of her mother's cherished quilts.  Sylvia's mother died when she was a child and Slyvia has fond memories of learning how to quilt and making her own quilts.  After the estate feel into debt, Sylvia's sister sold the quilts to pay for living expenses.  After learning of this, Slyvia journeys across the country with her finance, Andrew, to try to find the lost quilts.  The story was a little farfetched (to say the least), but I loved the historical details and the story.  Slyvia's mother was such an interesting character and I enjoyed learning more about her life and how she came to live at Elm Creek Manor.

Slyvia's Mother's New York Beauty Quilt from the author's website

The Runaway Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #4) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★★

The fourth book in the Elm Creek Quilts series focus's on Sylvia's search for information about her family's history.  When she finds an old journal and quilt in the attic of Elm Creek Manor, readers are taken back to the time of the Civil War and learn how Sylvia's ancestor's became one of the greatest horse breeders of the era.  I loved the historical aspects of this novel and was completely absorbed in the story.  The book includes lots of detail, history, stories of family, friendship, and trial - and, of course, plenty of quilting!   I was surprised by the unique ending to the book and also enjoyed learning a bit more about Sylvia and Andrew and their relationship as they travel.

The Runaway Quilt from the author's website

The Cross-Country Quilters (Elm Creek Quilts #3) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★

This novel, the third in Chiaverini's Elm Quilt Series, is a bit different than the first two books.  I tells the stories for five different characters - Grace, Julie, Donna, Megan, and Vinnie - that meet at the Elm Creek Quilt camp for a week of quilting away from their busy lives.  Each women is struggling with some aspect of their lives - whether it be motherhood, their health or keeping up with their career.  The women form a strong bond of friendship that lasts them long after the week at quilt camp ends.  They decide to make a challenge quilt - a project that they all agree to start after they have addressed a problem in their lives.  The novel follows the five women through the next year and concludes with a reunion at quilt camp a year later.  

The book was a little slow at the beginning and very predictable, but I generally enjoyed it.  I missed hearing more about the original Elm Creek quilters, but it was interesting to hear about the quilt camp from the perspective of actual campers - and some original characters did make a few appearances throughout the book.

Challenge Quilt from the author's website

Round Robin (Elm Creek Quilts #2) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★ 1/2

The second books in the Elm Creek Quilts series follows the Elm Creek Quilters - Sarah, Sylvia, Angus, Diane, Bonnie, Gwen, Summer, and Judy - as the continue to follow their dream of hosting a weekly quilting camp at Sylvia's home.  The group plans to make a round robin quilt to for Sylvia to hang in the front entrance of the Elm Creek Manor.  As they pass around the quilt and add to it, readers learn more about the lesser known characters as they struggle with family, marriage, careers, and friendships.

I generally enjoyed learning more about each of the characters that were mentioned briefly in the first book in the series.  It wasn't quite as interesting as the first book, but I loved learning more about quilting and how quilt camp was run.  Another easy read by Chiaverini.

Round Robin quilt from the author's website

The Quilter's Apprentice (Elm Creek Quilts #1) by Jennifer Chiaverini (audio)

★★★★

"Sometimes the most ordinary things are the ones we learn to miss the most."

When Sarah McClure moves to the small college town of Waterford, Pennsylvania for her husband Matt's job, she struggles to find a job and a life of her own.  While looking to find work, she agrees to temporarily help seventy-five-year old Sylvia Compson get her estate, Elm Creek Manor, ready to sell.  Sylvia is a bit offsetting at first, but the two become friends and Sylvia teachers Sarah to quilt and slowly tells her the story of her family's troubled past that left the manor in disgrace during World War II.  Sarah also meets some other local quilters and attends their weekly quilting meetings. When Sarah learns the truth about the manor's sale, she is determined to find a way to keep Sylvia and the manor in Waterford.

The Elm Creek Quilt novels is one of those series that I kept hearing about but never got the chance to read.  There are a lot of books in the series - 20 in all - and that's a big commitment.  I read Chiaverini's The Spymistress a few months ago and didn't really like it.  My usual rule before I give up on an author is three books, so I was still determined to give this book a try.  I checked it out on playaway from my library and had every intention of just listening to the first one and calling it a day.  I ended up getting completely sucked in and am currently on the sixth book after a little over a month - and counting.

This book (and series) is exactly what I needed.  After reading a lot of heavier books lately, The Quilter's Apprentice was the perfect contrast.  It was a quick read and, to be honest, the book was fairly predictable.  There wasn't a whole lot to the storyline, but the characters were so charming that I couldn't stop reading and routing for the ending - even though it was to wrapped up in a way-to-perfect package.  I enjoyed the contemporary storyline, but what really kept my interest was Sylvia's tragic story of her family's past.  I also loved the focus of quilting throughout the novel.  Sarah's quilting lessons with Sylvia and the making of a quilt sampler provided a great introduction to the intriguing and complex world of quilting.  Now I need to learn how to quilt.  I will report back soon on my progress - hopefully soon!

Sarah's Sampler quilt from the author's webiste